Draft-equalizer.



No. 65|,8|o. Patented'lune l2, |900.

` J. H. mcHFoRn.-

DRAFT EUUALIZER.

(Application filed Feb. 6, 1899.)

(N'o Model.)

w: News versus en.. giove-mno.. wnwsvron. n. c,

'UNITEDN STATES 'PATENT (liirloiati.v

JAMES H. RICI-IFORD, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-E'QUALlzl-:a

PECIFQTON forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,810, dated June 12, 1900 Application lecl February .6, 1899. Serial No. 704,760. (No model.l

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES II. RIcHuoRp, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Equalizers g and I do hereby declare that the following in a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in horse-power draft eveners or equalizers; and it consists, substantially, in such features of arrangement, construction, and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly de# scribed. l

Certain disadvantages have attended the use of draft' eveners or equalizers as constructed and arranged heretofore owing to the` fact that in most instances the point of attachment of the object to be drawn has with one or two exceptions, perhaps, been the center of the evener-bar, the tendency of which is to produce a lateral or side draft which is impossible to overcome except by the use of cumbersome and complicated devices. Furthermore, in the case of plowing, where the resistance offered by the plow is to one side of or at an angle to the line of draft, `it is extremely difficult to maintain the plow in the direction it is intended the same shall follow, owing to the inequality of draft produced by the horse or team of horses at each end of the evener-bar. As the' horses at each end of the evener-bar are hitched at equal distances from the point of attachment of the object drawn, it is evident that a thorough equaliza-l tion of the draft or pulling force is almost impossible. with four horses to do the work properly and with the least strain upon the horses one horse should walk in the furrow and the other three on the unbroken ground to the side thereof. With the old'construction and arrangement, however, the horses at'each end of the evenerbar being at equal distances from the center of such bar renders it practically impossible to keep the horses in the positions or directions they should follow, and it will be found that the fourth horse will usually be crowded out of the furrow over onto where the pre..

In instances of plowing, say,-

,vious furrow was turned. In-this way the plowing is made very unsteady, which subjects the animals to great strain, besides exerting considerable wear and tear on the operative devices.

The object of the -present invention" is to overcome the objections mentioned and to .provide a draft evener or equalizer embodying all the prerequisites to a perfectly-operatingdevice and one also in which the several parts shall always be edective and reliable. A

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a draft evener or equalizer in which four horses are preferably employed, although, as will more fully hereinafter appear, five horses could be employed equally as well, and then, again, if found desirable, three horses only need be employed. v

T he parts of my device or equalizer are so constructed and arranged as to be readily adj usted to the weight to be drawn and also to maintain the line of draft coincident with or parallel to the line of tract-ion of the object drawn.

In carrying my invention into effect Iprovide the usual evener-bar, to oneend of which a team of horses is hitched by means of the ordinary double and single trees, While to the `opposite end thereof a single horse is hitched also by means of a singletree. Instead of attaching the plow or other object to be drawn .to the center of the evener-bar I make the point of attachment thereof to one side of the center of such bar and provide an indirect connecting medium between it and the im-` pleinent. In so far as I am able to ascertain `no draft-equalizer hasr been provided with such connections as will be hereinafter fully ldescribed at length.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is ka perspective view of my improved evener. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a slightly-modified form of the same device. Fig. 3 is a plan view of that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the equalizer, showing relative position of parts. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of certain elements of my device. Fig. 6 is an end view of the evener in part section without the double and single trees.

In the various figures, A is the usual evenerbar employed in this class of devices.

IOO

Bis-

a doubletree attached to ne' end of such bar,

and C is asingletree at the opposite end. Thus three horses may be hitched to the same bar. The point of connection of this bar with the plow is such that the single horse has 'a`le"ve'` age twice that of the team at the doubletreefi. e., said point of connection is=located at a point substantially one-third the length ofl.. the bar from one end-thereby giving the single horse twice the leverage allowed the team,

vthe latter being hitched to the shorter end.

This, however,`is not new, but is eXplained to make my device clearly understood a link or similar device E to the plow-clevis E. -At the opposite end is pivoted an auxiliary or supplemental bar or arm F at ct. A draft rod Aor connection.G is pivoted to the said clevis E', land its opposite end supports thesaid Abar D by the bolt b in Fig. 6. The said ydraft-rod G is provided with a slot to receiveV an upright lever H, the lower end of which has pivotal connection with the evener-k bar A by a rod c. The upper end of the lever is similarly attached to the arm F at @,as shownl The points of connection of the draftrod Gand the rods c and dwith the bars A p and F -are in a vertical line, as illustrated,

though this is not important, since other means of connection could be employed. At

' the free end .of the uppermost bar F is attached a singletrce f. Fig. 2 shows how this bar may be extended from its pivotal point beyond theevener-bar A, so that two horses .y maybe placed outside of the horse attached at C.

have a fourhorse evener. When the device is thus altered, the eectis tochange the leverages somewhat. y Therefore the point ofV connection with the plow-clevis must be shift- 1 Ved slightly to again bring about the proper conditions `for perfect operation.

equalizer is attached to the plow in two places, as `has been described. It is evident y that when the evener-barA is drawn forward the armor barF will natually be pulled backwardby reason of the vertical lever 'H but by extending the'bar D considerably beyond its pivotal point at b and pivoting upon such extension the arm F, as show-n, and applying the power atthe yfree end thereof the pull ex# erted by the v horses upon the bar A will be.`

equfalized. y Y

The following will give a clearer idea of the leverage auditsl equ-alizing effects. .Assu ming vthe entiredevice Vto be suspended by. means o-f itsv draft-bar Gand the connection 1 E,.if aweig-ht of one hundred` pounds be hungl from the doubletree and fifty pounds from the singletree on vthe far end of the evene'r-bar Ajth'e leverage would be v such that the lfifty noticeable side draft. vibrating lever H, pivoted to the draft-rod G, Iby having connection with the arm F and Inthis manner five horses may be ac commodated; but it is obvious that one horse may be used in place of the two and still pounds would exactly balance 'the one huit-v dred pounds. The combined weight `of one hundred and fifty pounds will raise the arm F to its highest limit; but if fifty pounds is lungfrom the single-tree on the end of the said arm F that weight will be sufficient to return the arm to its first position, or the position shown in'Fig. 3,'thus proving that the pull vof each of the four horses willbe evenly distributed. Thev elements A, D, and F will be kept in an even line under a` steady'strain or without the jerky motion experienced in the operation of eveners in general.'

' A serie-sof holes may be made in the sev eral bars in the region of their pivotal points to provide means of adjustment, whereby, ifv

required, the leverages may bealtered.

' I have shown and described 'myimproved equalizer-as I prefer to -use it, but various changes may be made therein and still come within the scope of m-y invention.

`An advantage in my evener is the use of Vthe two connections between theevencrbar andthe clevis-that is, the rod' G and link `E`.'whercby the plow is-drawn forward in a perfectly-straight line or in a line free from Again, Vthe vertical evener-bar A in the manner shown and described every movement of the arm F is transmitted, to the bar A, and vice versa, and

jthe movement of one `of the parts is balanced bythe pullof the other. 'vided with suitable holes for adjustment of The lever is prothe rods c and d in order thai-.greater or less leverage may be employed to suit the gdemand.V l

The particular arrangement ofthe lever H and its 'rods is not'important, as-any form 'or applicationof equivalent means may be used. I may change the relative location of the bars A, D, and'F and change the lengths of each when finding `it expedient todo'so. lFor example, the position of the bars yA and F [may be reversed-that is, the former may be y Owing- -to the tendency of the plow to side draft the placed above the bar D and the 'latter below such bar, and said bar D can be `shortened and F lengthened to project,ras indicated in IIO Fig. 2, as before set' forth. Evidently other changes of more or less importance may be made. While I have described the pivotal connection of the'draft-bar with the object drawn as being locatedrat a certain point'in the length of said bar, it is not absolutely necessaryto be'placed Iexactly in the location l shown and described.- Byextending the bar D beyond the horses at B and having vsuitable connection between the free end thereof and the pivotal connection with rod G for attachement to the llever substantially the same results m-ay behad fas with `the rst form shown and-described@ I claim" f f l. In a draft-equalizer,adrattbar having idraftattachment for connection with theob- Vqectdrawn, a 'ma-in evener=barhavin`g indirect connection with said draft-bar above it, through the said draft attachment, an auxiliary arm pivoted at one end to the free end of said draft-bar, or at the end farthest removed from the said draft attachment, and pivotal connection between the said main evener and auxiliary arm through said attachment thereby having indirect connection between the draft-bar and the auxiliary arm except at the pivotally-connected ends thereof, and no connection between the said draftbar and the main evener except through the said draft attachment, for the purposes set forth.

2. A draft-equalizer consisting of a main evener-bar, a draft-bar and an auxiliary or supplemental bar, or arm, a draft attachment between the draft-bar and the object drawn, a pivotal arm or lever on the draft attachment and connection between its lower end and the main bar and its upper end and the auxiliary bar, for the purposes specified, and pivotal connection between the auxiliary bar and the draft-bar substantially as set forth and described.

3. Adraft-equalizer having a main evenerbar, a draft-barabove it, an auxiliary evenerbar above the draft-bar, pivotal connections between the two latter members, a draft attachment on the draw-bar, a vibrating lever pivoted on said attachment and connecting means between the said lever and the auxiliary bar and the lever and the main evenerbar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

4. In a draft-equalizer, a draft-bar, connecting means between it and the object drawn, said bar extending considerably beyond and at right angles to the connection means, an auxiliary bar above such draft-bar and having one end thereof pivoted to the said extension and the other end projecting beyond the draft end of said bar, a main evener below the draft-bar and suitable lever mechanism between the said evener-bar and the auxiliary bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

5. In a draft-equalizer a draft-bar having draft attachments secured at one side of its Vmiddle length, a vibrating lever pivoted to one of such attachments, a main evener-bar below the draft-bar, suitable horse attachments thereon, said bar being connected with the lower end of said lever at a point about a third of the length of said bar from one end, an auxiliary evener-barabove the draft-bar, one end being pivoted to the free'extended endV of said draft-bar, the other extremity of said auxiliary bar projecting in the opposite direction beyond the draft connection and provided with horse attachments, said bar having connection with the upper end of the vibrating lever substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

6. In a draft-equalizer, a draft-bar D having a draft attachment near one end, at right angles to the length thereof, an auxiliary arm Y pivoted to such draft-bar at one end and having suitable horse attachment at its free end, such auxiliary arm having loose connection with one end of the pivotal lever, and a main @vener-bar having loose connection with the opposite end of the pivotal lever and provided at each end with suitable horse attachment all for purposes set forth.

7. In a draft-equalizer, a draft-bar D having draft attachments E and G at one side of its middle length for connection withthe object drawn, substantially as shown, a supplemental bar F above such draft-bar, one end thereof having pivotal connection with the free end of the latter, a main evener-bar A below the draft-bar, a vibrating lever pivoted on the draft attachment, a rod d attached loosely to the said main evener-bar and the lower end of the lever, arod cattached loosely to the supplemental bar and the upper end' of such lever and suitably-disposed horse attachments for the main evener-bar and the supplemental bar substantially as herein described and shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. RICIIFORD.

Witnesses OnAs. WoLnE, v A; KEITHLEY. 

